The Creamiest Aioli

Think of this aioli as your secret sauce. Made
by transforming egg yolks, garlic, and olive
oil into a creamy dip, it's Provence's answer
to mayonnaise. The secret is creating a tight
emulsion of the yolk and oil. The technique,
thankfully, is less scientific: "Add a thin drizzle
of oil and whisk like crazy," says Suzanne
Goin, chef at L.A.'s Lucques, Tavern, and A.O.C.
Her version lets the egg shine by using half
flavor-neutral grapeseed oil so the olive oil
doesn't dominate. The result is a harmonious
sauce with a supple texture (thanks to hand-whisking
instead of using a blender) that begs
to be spooned onto meat, bread, and fish.
Goin serves it with salmon and poached spring
vegetables, but no matter what you pair it
with, this sauce is the star.

Preparation

Drape a kitchen towel over a small saucepan;
set a small metal bowl over (this will hold bowl
in place). Whisk egg yolk*, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt,
and 2 teaspoons water in metal bowl to blend well.
Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in grapeseed
oil, 1 teaspoonful at a time, until sauce is thickened
and emulsified. Whisking constantly, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in cayenne;
season aioli with lemon juice, pepper, and salt.

Cooks' Note:
*Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly,
pregnant women, people with weakened immune
systems…or people who don't like raw eggs. But
they won't have to forgo this aioli altogether. Just
use pasteurized egg yolk instead.

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Recent Review

I make mayonaise all the time so, I thought I should try it. At first I did not think it will come together but it did! I added the juice of a halved small lemon and some more olive oil. It is nice and silky but a little too salty for my taste. Next time I will use half the salt and definetely bash the garlic on a pestle and mortar. I do not like the tiny pieces of garlic although I used a garlic press!